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Theovan The Black
Theovan The Black was a Dwarven commander and warlord who was active during The Age of Kingdoms. Theovan stood against the initial rise of The Sorcerer Kings with the help of The League of Fan. A strong opponent of magical totalitarianism, he rallied a force of Humans, Dwarves, and some Elves against the efforts to create the kingdom of Libitina. He is also credited with helping found the League of Fan, the formal title of the faction in direct opposition to The Sorcerer Kings. He was eventually defeated in The Battle of The Black Stone, which led to his death and the quick decline of the League of Fan's ability to efficiently operate in military clashes. History Born into a noble Dwarven family, Theovan was quickly regarded as an able-bodied warrior and leader. His real rise to power came during a season of border clashes between his Clan, The Rockbiters, and a tribe of Orcs. After honing his skills in true combat, he was sent by his Father Ethovan Rockbiter to study the finer arts under the tutelage of the philosopher and scholar Khalad Of Gant. Most of his early time with Khalad was spent learning the various languages of antiquity and then commencing a lengthy study into famous works of literature, philosophies, and then finally politics. During his time in Gant he fell into the gravity of political activities which eventually culminated in The Great War which led to the rise of The Sorcerer Kings. His orbit around the core group of leaders who would eventually become The League of Fan cemented him into the leadership structure of the military arm of the league. Military Career Theovan supplied the League of Fan with a series of victories which nearly won them the war. His military training and experience gave him an edge in a period of time where most generals and military leaders only understood military theory, and didn't have any personal time in the field. Most noted for his use of Dwarven military practices and strategies in the context of surface-combat, he was able to perfect what is now known as "The Dwarven Block" or "Tortoise" formation. This tightly linked grouping of shields made breaking a battalions formation very difficult. The Battle of The Mothers Hand The first major battle to begin his win streak was a sizeable clash between the forces of The Acolytes of Vod, a faction aligned with The Sorcerer Kings. Using expert timing and organization he quickly applied his own knowledge of Dwarven tactics to defend the mountain fortress of The Mothers Hand, the five towered bastion which held sway over a series of important routes in the Khâl Mountains. The Battle of Everly Field As battles go, this was generally a standard affair. Most notable was Theovans use of tight shield formations to pincer the enemies into a panic. Losses were low on both sides, but psychology won out in favor of Theovans forces. The Black Charge The Black Charge is what gave Theovan his appelation of "The Black". Desperately pressed into a rocky gorge by enemy guerilla forces, Theovan lead a charge into the dark of the night which although was reckless, was a necessary move to reposition his forces and keep them from being slaughtered by enemy missile file coming from the trees around him. It was then discovered that the enemy forces was an underwhelming contingency of Goblins, who intended to slowly whittle down Theovans forces before making a charge themselves. Theovan however, was said to have slain 86 Goblins in the battle, and the dark blood of the Goblins covered him from head to toe, leaving him as dark as pitch. Various Battles From this point on, Theovan led his troops to victory over the course of a season, defeating his enemies roundly. Windmill Pass, The Battle of The Easy River, and The Battle of Kol-Dûn were most remembered among them. Death His final battle, and place of death, was at The Battle of the Black Stone. Upon arriving to the field of battle, it was discovered that The Sorcerer Kings had fielded a new type of troop: The Templars. The initial confusion, terror, and overall panic caused by this new troop led to the defeat of Theovan's troops, and his untimely death in single combat with The General Templar Movius. Theovan's corpse was not recovered, as his body was turned to ash by the magical blade of Movius. However, it is rumored that his ashes were built into or placed into The Three Stones, which some say is a cairn to honor his name.